The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, inaugurated a committee to fast track the immediate implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s elongation of retirement age for teachers.
The new policy which was approved by President Buhari has now increased the retirement age from 60 years to 65 years and length of service from 35 to 40 years for Teachers in the 36 States and FCT.
Olusade Adesola, the FCT Permanent Secretary inaugurated the Standing Committee in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.
Adesola said the new policy will address the issues of brain drain as well as enrich the teaching profession in the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that the inauguration of the Standing Committee became necessary following the release of a Service-Wide Guideline for the implementation of the new policy by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that all backlog of applications of beneficiaries that falls within the effective date of implementation is 1st January 2021 and will be immediately processed, adding that this will ensure industrial harmony in the Territory.
Adesola charged all FCTA teachers to guard against abuse of the new policy by resisting the temptation to turn themselves into super teachers, by becoming unavailable to render the teaching service, for which they are being paid for, but rather reciprocate Government’s kind gesture by becoming extra dedicated and committed to their profession.
The Permanent Secretary also noted that the Committee which is to be chaired by the Director of FCTA Human Resource Management, Malam Mohammed Bashir, has the following terms of reference: collation of applications from interested officers, screening of applications to determine eligibility based on extant guidelines, verification of documents and forwarding of recommendations for consideration and approval respectively.
Chairman of the Committee, Malam Bashir in his remark, thanked the Permanent Secretary for the confidence reposed in the Committee to carry out such a sensitive assignment.
He assured the Administration that the Committee will immediately get to work to ensure the new policy takes off immediately.
